The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-23

This monument marks the grave of the ia
nous prize fighter, Yankee" Sullivan, who.
though no relation to the present noted pugilist
of the same surname, was equally renowned IN
his day. He was remarkable man in many
respects, and had a very singular and romantic
history, with which one but himself wag
ever fully ACQUAINTED. He was known bv sew
eral names at various periods of his lite, and
what his true one was none of his associates in
this country knew, but it is quite certain that it
was not Sullivan.
Though born in Ireland he went to England
quite early in life. and soon gained wide rep
utation as a pugilist. He finally placed himself
in the front rank of his profession by conquer
ing Hammer Lane, then the light of the fistic
arena in England. He soon afterward immi-
grated to the United States, and 1t was while
keeping q saloon in New York that he fought
his great battle with Thomas Hyer. the IA
nous American pugilist. at Rock Point, Nd,
on Feb. z. 1910. for the championship of Ame-i-
ca and $10o the largest stake ever fought for
in the prize ring That encounter was one Of
the most celebrated on record Though it re-
suited in Sullivans defeat, il made his name
known all over America, and he and Hyer wers
the lions of the day.
la the latter part of 1855 Sullivan came OUT to
San Francisco. He came with bad reputation.
and being known as pugilist, he was regarded
by the vigllantes as q Quarrelsome desperate,
ever ready for any evil-doing whatever that
temptation and opportunity might render pos
sible 1t was at a time when the vigilance
committee at the height of its power, ard
when the life of every man against whom there
was even the slightest ground for suspicion of
disorder was in momentary danger.
Sullivan was object of dislike TO the Wig
ilantes from the first, and may be truly said to
ment he set foot in San Francisco. Yet SO
credirably did he conduct himself that il was
impossible for them to find any pretext for his
taking of until, at length. he acted as q Judge Of
election in bitter political contest, which
suited III a manner unsatisfactory to the Wig
ilantes Then they seized and imprisoned him
in their rooms on a charge of being party TO
ballot box stuffing and other election frauds-an
accusation on which there was no proof and of
which many reputable citizens who knew him
believed him nsirely Innocent
He was TOO popular a man, and there was too
little evidence of any wrong doing for the vigi-
lantes to execute him publicly, but on the morn
ing of May 81, 1856, he was found Iifeless in bis
place OF confinement, with severed artery in
his arm, from which he had bled to death All
the local newspaper accounts of this affair pub
lished at the time state that he committed sui
eide, and all who have written upon the subject
since then have quietly accepted that statement
without making any investigation of its truth,
but it must always be borne in mind that the
vigilance committee absolutely controlled the
entire press of San Francisco and wrote its OWE
history. There was but one newspaper-the
Herald-which dared to lift its voice, and that y
very feeble one against the committee and Its
doines All the others upheld it, ana strongly
urged 1t to much bolder deeds than 1t dared TO
attempt
Sullivan died in one of the committees rooms.
seQuestered from all his friends and
from every eye except that of the vigilance
committee and ths Great Author of life and
death If the vigilantes chose to make the state
ment that Sullivan bad taken his own life. who
but the all-seeing God could contradict dis
prove their assertions!
Sulvans friends and the members OF the
Law and Order party organization formed
by few respectable citizens TO oppose the viRi-
lantes believe that he b ad been m urdered by tne
committee. When they applied for permission
to inter his body in the old cemetery Of the
Mission Dolores. he having died faithful Catho-
lie the ecclesiastical authorities thoroughly in
vestigated the matter the laws of the church
forbidding the burial of suicide in consecrated
ground. The result of that investigation was to
thoroughly convince all concerned in it that
Sullivan had been assassinated, and the fact that
his remains now rest in the consecrated burial
ground of a Catholic Church is the best possible
proof that he guiltless OF any hand in his
own death.